arazeem beachside ugoline
Antonio Brittenham
We cater to a wide variety of abaya trends that use a range of fabrics, colors, embellishments with Austrian crystals, fine embroidery, etc. To preserve the quality and longevity of these beautiful pieces in your wardrobe, proper maintenance is key.
By Maitha Al Ansari brings timeless sophistication to the modest wardrobe with this new-season abaya. Tailored to flow elegantly over your frame, the A-line silhouette is cut from lightweight metallic organza with a floral jacquard motif and contrasting satin trims.
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2) Prepare the item in the original packaging with all tags intact
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5) Refunds will be issued pending a quality check
The Periwinkle four-piece set from Maitha Al Ansari will transition effortlessly from day to evening. It includes a shimmery abaya with a sheer tulle overlay that can be removed for an additional styling option, plus a sleeveless inner dress and a tonal sheila.
Immerse yourself in sophistication with our Black & Gold abaya, the epitome of timeless elegance for every occasion. Black, an eternal favorite, exudes class and allure. Delicately adorned with intricate handwork on each sleeve, this abaya radiates luxury and refinement. Elevate your ensemble effortlessly with this statement piece, ensuring you stand out with style and grace.
Maitha Al Ansari's Mighty & Bold three-piece set will be a statement-making addition to your wardrobe. Contrasting golden florals lend a striking finish to the abaya, which is accompanied by a simple sleeveless inner dress and a tonal sheila.
You'll make a smart impression when you wear Maitha Al Ansari's Fierce & Fabulous three-piece set. Textured gold buttons accent the abaya's blazer-inspired tailoring, while a simple inner dress and matching sheila complete the look with finesse.
Under the beams of streetlights, I walk in a peaceful neighbourhood in Abu Dhabi city clustered with several beige coloured houses. Maitha answers our call and comes out to the gate to receive us with a broad smile. We open our shoes outside, just the way we do before entering any Indian household. Pushing open the luxe door she waits for us, the smile still lingering on her face.
The guest room looks elegant, with comfortable high back chairs and sofa, three shimmering crystal chandeliers, several corner tables set with ornamental vases and flowers, a drawer chest and a TV. A few geometrical decors adorn the white wall. I sit in a chair while Maitha settles in another. After introductions, our chat session starts. She makes clear the topics. We are allowed to ask about how an Emirati family lives, clothes and eats, what are their daily routine, rituals, cultures and traditions. She also clearly mentions that she is not comfortable answering any deep religious or political questions.
So we are sitting in the majlis of this Emirati house. However, this majlis is different. Traditional majlis of the Emiratis are always arranged on the floor. Guests sit on carpets and recline on cushions and pillows, which they call takiah, again a word amply used by Indians while speaking in Hindi.
Maitha quickly adds that her ancestors were not Bedouins; not all citizens of UAE had been Bedouins. She corrects a big misconception in my mind. There are several tribes and subtribes in Arabia, but Bedouins are only those who dwelled on the sands. There are mountain, sea and land (farm) tribes as well. She belongs from the sea tribes.
Coffee is an inseparable part of Emirati life. Typically, the Emiratis crush coffee beans and reduce it to powder. They add the powder to water and boil on low-flame for about 5-10 minutes. In UAE, most commonly, the coffee is flavoured with cardamom. Sometimes saffron is also used, but never more than two spices to prevent a clash of tastes. The beverage is strained before serving; however if guests prefer strong coffee, the straining is skipped.
The guests jingle their cups to signal the host to take it away, if they stretch out their cups, more coffee is poured by the server. The prevalence of the sign languages also came from the Bedouins of the past, who always employed deaf coffee servers to prevent eavesdropping.
Abayas can be colourful but always black at official occasions. Abayas are custom designed and stitched by tailors. Usual ones cost around 800-1200 Dirhams. Our host, Maitha, owns around 22 different abayas with versatile embroidery work. A range of fabrics are used to create abayas like chiffon, zari, shamwa (or was it chamois), organza, crepe and many more. Maitha says its chiffon and shamwa that best suits the hot desert climate of the region.
Maitha refers to the hawkers who used to visit from door to door selling their collection (mostly fabrics) as Lelam. The lelams were from the Indian subcontinent, mainly Pakistan. I assume them to be what we call feriwala in Kolkata. They interacted and negotiated with the women of the house and sold to them until a few years ago, when the government abolished this kind of business.
In UAE, every newlywed man is given a house/land/money from the government to start off his conjugal life. Since polygamy is legal in this country, if a man marries for the second time another house is given to him. Each wife is expected to have a house of her own. I am not sure if the government still gives them a third and fourth house if they indeed take three or four wives.
Maitha lives with her mother and five siblings. Her stepmother lives with her own children in a different house. As we speak, her Filipino house help arranges dinner. Maitha is quick to add that the domestic help has her own room, phone and Wi-Fi. On the palm frond carpet, she keeps the exquisitely designed pots and pans tumbling with Emirati food.
In a soft chorus, we request her not to take the trouble of serving us and that we would help ourselves, but, being the gracious host that she is, our chorus is subdued by her kindness. Smell of steamed rice wafts in the air followed by the aroma of spiced chicken. She calls a reddish stew of vegetable and chicken, saloona. She picks up the stew and the juicy vegetables and chickens from the saloona and mixes it with shredded raqaq bread in a third pot to make the dish fareed. I learn it is a common dish during Ramadan. The taste of bzar, an Emirati spice mix used in making the saloona hangs heavy in the dish, reminding me of spicy food back home.
An enormous amount of food remains untouched in the pot, as she has prepared a generous quantity, overestimating our appetite. We are happy to learn the extra food would be given to the mosque, which would be distributed to feed hungry people.
The closing ceremony of the meeting commences. It bears resemblance with Hindu rituals performed during worshipping of idols(puja). We huddle together on the floor in front of small shiny metal boxes. As soon as the boxes are opened, my nostrils inflate in reflex. A mlange of fragrances permeate the air.
The boxes contain dkhoon(bakhroor), lubaan and oudh. Both dkhoon and oudh appear as semi crushed black masses. Dkhoon is handmade, generally by women, out of aromatic natural substances like musk, amber, rosewood and sandalwood. Oudh is obtained from the resinous agarwood tree, a native of Assam (India) which had later spread into other Southeast Asian countries. Lubaan, also known as Frankincense, is the aromatic resin of the much-prized lubaan tree found in Oman and Somalia.
In a clay charcoal container called midkhan, on the burning coal, some lubaan is placed. As the smoke spirals up, the midkhan is passed around and Maitha invites everyone to take in the smell. Lubaan is also burned when someone in the household is sick. Spreading this fragrance is an Emirati way of purifying the house from germs and bacteria.
Next, the dkhoon is burned and the same process is repeated. In the households, it is generally used as the incense of the daytime. Finally, she puts the agarwood chips or oudh on the burning charcoal; oudh being the costliest of them all is only burned during special occasions like weddings, engagements and when visitors come.
Every female majlis in this country ends like this. The burning of oudh signifies the climax of guest sessions. Sometimes, even in a male majlis, oudh is burned and the container is passed around to inhale the smoke, but generally men do not perfume their outfit or hair with it.
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